When a copying machine is continuously operated for a long time, developer contained in a developing apparatus is aggregated to accumulate on a bucket of a bucket roller, impairing flowability of the developer. Many of the conventional developing apparatuses are provided with a bucket roller to which a bucket for transporting developer is fixed by a screw or the like. Therefore, developer is liable to aggregate on the bucket and thereabout when a copying machine is continuously operated, making it impossible to eliminate the accumulation of the developer as mentioned above. As a result, there has been a strong demand for improving this point.
In view of this, for example, a technique for preventing the accumulation of the developer has been proposed as shown in FIG. 1 wherein a bucket 103 fixedly provided to a bucket roller 102 for supplying the developer to a developing sleeve 101 disposed adjacent to a photosensitive member PC is given vibration at its side portion by a vibration member 104 provided at the main body of the developing apparatus.
Since the structure of the above-mentioned conventional developing apparatus is such that the bucket fixedly provided at the bucket roller by a spring or the like is supplied at its side a light vibration which does not affect the rotation of the bucket roller, vibration cannot be transmitted entirely over the bucket, only the portion thereof colliding with the vibration member vibrating. Consequently, although the aggregation and accumulation of the developer on the bucket can partly be prevented, the function sufficient to assuredly prevent such aggregation and accumulation of the developer all over the bucket cannot be obtained.